Google Spotlight Stories VR Short ‘Age of Sail’ to Premiere at Venice

Helmed by Oscar-winning director John Kars with production design by Celine Desrumaux, ‘Age of Sail’ is produced by GSS partner Chromosphere.

'Age of Sail'

Just announced today, the much-anticipated new short film by Oscar-winning director John Kahrs, Age of Sail, is set to have its World Premiere in VR at the Venice Film Festival this Fall.

Other virtual reality projects selected to compete at this year’s festival include director Eric Darnell’s Crow: The Legend, which was produced at Baobab Studios; Sam Weyand Fangchao Tao’s Fresh Out, which was produced in China and the U.S.; and the U.K.’s Berlin Blitz, directed by David Whelan. You can see the full interactive lineup here.

Google Spotlight Stories’ Age of Sail is being produced with Chromosphere and by Gennie Rim (duet, June, Dear Basketball) and David Eisenmann (Pearl, Son of Jaguar) and executive produced by Karen Dufilho and Jan Pinkava. Age of Sail is Google Spotlight Stories’ longest, most visually complex experience to date and includes production design by Celine Desrumaux and technical supervision by Cassidy Curtis.

Set on the open ocean in 1900, Age of Sail is the story of William Avery (played by Ian McShane), an old sailor adrift and alone in the North Atlantic. When Avery reluctantly rescues a teen (played by Cathy Ang) who has mysteriously fallen overboard, Avery finds redemption and hope in his darkest hours.

The announcement comes on the heels of a nomination for an Emmy Award for Original Interactive Programming for the GSS short Back to The Moon. The first interactive 360/VR Doodle, Back to The Moon celebrates the artistry of the trailblazing French illusionist and film director, Georges Méliès. A massive collaboration between Google Spotlight Stories, Nexus Studios, Google Doodle and Google Arts and Culture, Back to The Moon is a unique immersive experience. The project marks GSS’s second collaboration with Nexus Studios (Rain or Shine) and was directed by Hélène Leroux and FX Goby. Back to The Moon is currently available on multiple platforms. You can view a version of the show here.

Source: Google Spotlight Stories